The Financial Express -- Expressions

This page contains Editorial and Op-Ed articles

Wednesday, December 10 1997

Letters to the Editor

A virus called non-performing asset

The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India (1996-97) contains disquieting information on the health of the Indian banking system. During 1996-97, net non-performing assets of public sector banks increased by Rs 1987 crore. Over the same period, the operating profits of 27 public sector banks increased by Rs 1361 crore.

Poll funding

The Election Commission's demand for doubling the present ceiling of Rs 4.5 lakh on the expenditure of candidates for Lok Sabha polls, no doubt, has been prompted by an over-riding concern for fair elections. While such a measure would be meaningful with statutory restrictions on the number of people in the fray for each constituency, the commission cannot be faulted for its anxiety to prevent unhealthy poll practices and to promote transparency in poll-related expenditure.

Banks eye non-fund activities

Banks are increasingly turning to non-fund based activities ever since their core business of lending started earning them less. Evidently, in the first-half of the current fiscal, not only did growth in non-interest income outpace interest income growth but also salvaged the bottomlines of most of the banks.

Pointless rhetoric

Poll funding

A virus called non-performing asset

Banks eye non-fund activities

The contagion effect

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